Madhu church, Pandivirichchaan, Mannar, Sri Lanka.

I took this photograph of Madhu Church in Mannar, in 2005, during the time of peace.

The Balakotunna falls, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka.

On the alternate route from Rathnapura to Balangoda via Malwala, Galaboda, Wewalwaththe, Rasagalla, you will pass the Balakotunna falls, after passing Wewalwaththe.. It is not visible from the main road but you can hear the roar of its waters there. You have to climb a small hillock to see this waterfall. It cascades down from 'Raulagala' rock and is a beautiful sight. I took this picture of it nearly two years ago.

'The umbrella tree', Mannar, Sri Lanka.

The 'umrella tree' is called so because it looks like an umbrella. It flourishes in highly saline soil. I took this picture in Mannar, of this tree growing close to a salt pan.

Alupolla waterfall, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The road from Rathnapura to Wewalwaththe takes one to the Alupolla Estate. Just opposite the office of the tea estate you can see a series of three beautiful waterfalls. This is the first one.

An egret on a water buffalo, Kuruwita, Sri Lanka.

Domesticated water buffalos are used extensively in agriculture, from time immemorial in Sri Lanka. Egrets live in symbiosis with the water buffalos. The insects stirred up from the soil by the water baffalos, form an ideal source of food for the egrets. The egrets also pick the ticks from the water buffalos, benefitting the water buffalos. I took this picture on the road to Bopath Ella, the beautiful waterfall, from Kuruwita.